How To: Brew Your Own Beer

let the beer ferment again

Just because you bottled your beer doesn't mean you're ready to drink it. You must find a cool, dark place to store your bottles for the secondary fermentation. Don't put it in the refrigerator yet, as it'll be too cold for the yeast to work.

You can put the bottles where you used to store your fermenter (the basement will do just fine). Again, the temperature must be around 65F with few variations. Your bottles must stay there for an additional two weeks.

Then, monitor your beer to check whether the brew is still cloudy from the yeast. If it is, leave it alone and check on it every day until it clears up. Once the liquid is clear, you can put it in the fridge and drink to your heart's content.

additional info

Homebrewing is legal in the U.S. as long as it's for private consumption and not for sale. Texas has a 200-gallon limit per year and West Virginia requires the beer to be less than 6% alcohol.

Heat and light make beer go bad, so dark and cool environments are important during the storage process.

You should drink homemade beer from a glass to avoid consuming leftover yeast and sediment, which will give you gas.

The more fermentables you use when cooking your wort, the more alcohol your beer will contain.

The longer you wait before drinking the beer, the better it will taste. Don't be afraid to wait four to six weeks before drinking it.

Homemade beer will be good for anywhere between six months and two years, and some beers can stay good for up to 20 years.

If your brewski doesn't taste good, age it a little longer instead of throwing it away. Also, you may mix it with some of your

drink to that...

By using high-quality ingredients, your beer will be awesome. What's more, contrary to store-bought beverages, you know exactly what you're drinking. And when you learn that you can drink as much at half the price, brewing your own beer will become one of the smartest decisions you can ever make. Cheers!